CANADA MOURNS KINGS’ VICTORY OVER CANUCKS

The Canadian media and bloggers speak. Click on the link at the end of each excerpt for more. If you are wondering why I didn’t post sportsnet, tsn, and other articles, it is because they all used the AP story and while Surly & I appreciate the AP’s contribution toward NHL coverage, we search for original work.

Well, the Vancouver Canucks aren’t going to stand still for this kind of scoring slump. Friday, they went backwards.

They lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings to end their first week of the National Hockey League season 1-2-1. With seven goals.

For a fourth straight game, the Canucks were good with the puck, strong in possession in the offensive zone, quick on their skates and solid in their battles. They look like a very good team except for the scoring part.

It’s not delusional to suggest the Canucks played well enough the last week to be at least 3-1. Instead, they’re stuck at three points because they’ve scored half the number of goals they should have.

The Canucks are in the midst of their first losing streak of the season following a 4-1 loss to the LA Kings Friday night at the Staples Center.

Vancouver’s second straight loss, and second loss to the Kings in a less than a week, played out to a familiar theme for the Canucks: offensive output from the Sedins and no one else.

Daniel Sedin’s fourth goal of the season, assisted by Henrik, was all the offence Vancouver could muster; the third period score cut Los Angeles’ lead to 2-1 before the Kings responded by restoring their two-goal lead 50 seconds later to seal the game.

Mikael Samuelsson has been immersed in a hockey culture where winning is ingrained, championships are commonplace and expectation is embraced.

That was in Detroit. In Vancouver, something else is happening.

Henrik Sedin, Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler, Jannik Hansen and Samuelsson remain without a goal following a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.

Daniel Sedin is the only top-six forward to score, and four of the Canucks’ seven goals in a sluggish 1-2-1 start have come from the left winger.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Canucks also lost Keith Ballard to a first-period injury after he was hit into the boards by winger Brad Richardson. The defenceman, who hasn’t missed a game the last three seasons, appeared to hurt his left shoulder but the Canucks wouldn’t confirm it and would only say he wasn’t feeling well and would be further evaluated Saturday.

6 replies

The Canucks aren’t the team that’s played this first week of the season. That’s why it’s good to get these early points on them, and to be off to the start that we are off to. Now that we’ve exacted a bit of revenge on Vancouver, we have to stay focused and continue to play the way we are, where we are finding ways to win games. There was so much worry at the end of the preseason about Greene being gone, and how the rookies would play. This team is off to a fantastic start, they just have to find a way to continue this throughout the season. All the pieces are here for them to do that.